Speeches & Opinions 2009



Read speeches and opinion articles by ACTU officers and staff.



Our collection contains speeches delivered at conferences, forums, summits, rallies and events by Executive and senior ACTU staff.  It also contains op eds – previously published in mainstream media – by the ACTU President, ACTU Secretary or ACTU Assistant Secretaries.


Recent Speeches & Opinions

Jeff Lawrence: How the new IR system is shaping up for employers and unions

September 21, 2009

The Fair Work Act will be better for employers and employees, our economy and society – in good times and bad. It’s time to stop arguing and get on with it, says ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence.

Read More

Jeff Lawrence: Company tax should not be cut

September 18, 2009

As the Henry Tax Review prepares its final report, there is no clear evidence that a lower company tax rate would be good for Australia, argues ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence.

Read More

Jeff Lawrence: Celebrating 25 years of Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA

September 18, 2009

For 25 years APHEDA has been helping sustainable development, education and health outcomes, all over the world. It is important we recognise and honour the contribution Union Aid Aboard has made.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: Executive pay rises add insult to injury

September 17, 2009

The release of company annual reports over the past week reveals that rather than accepting their fair share of the pain, CEOs are still enjoying lavish salaries and outrageous bonuses. It’s as if the global financial crisis never happened.

Read More

Jeff Lawrence: Employers should be honest about what they really want

September 8, 2009

The hysterical response from several business lobby groups to the modernising of awards raises questions about whether employers are being honest about what they really want, explains ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: Pathways to recovery: securing the jobs and incomes of working Australians

July 20, 2009

Up to 5,000 Australians a week, every week for the next 6 to 12 months will lose their job if the Treasury forecasts come true. Thousands more Australians will face cuts to their hours of work. These people are the local victims of the GFC.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: Employees enter a new era of rights

July 1, 2009

From a campaign that began almost four years ago to the day, Australian workers are set to have greater protection for their jobs, their conditions and their workplace rights. The Fair Work Act begins operation today.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: Fair Work Australia (FWA) Inaugural Session

July 1, 2009

This is an historic day and for working Australians a day of celebration. I am proud to be here, with my colleague, Jeff Lawrence, the Secretary of the ACTU, and other union women and men representing those workers.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: Australian businesses can clean up in the energy revolution

June 28, 2009

This week, Barack Obama told America that “the nation that leads in the creation of a clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy”.

Read More

Sharan Burrow: International Labor Organisation Summit speech on Global Jobs Crisis

June 17, 2009

The world must change. The crisis was a disaster waiting to happen The fault lines were obvious to all, but corporate greed and self interest co-opted not just the boardrooms but the political will of too many of our powerful governments.

Read More

The ACTU Network

Australian Unions

Whether you want to join a union, take action in campaigns, or make the most of the benefits of being a union member, Australian Unions is the place to go for information and resources.
Visit Australian Unions

Mind Your Head

We’re taking action to protect workplace mental health.
Visit Mind Your Head

Worksite

Your rights at work for students and for people entering the workforce for the first time.
Visit Worksite

OHS

Information and resources for health and safety representatives and workers about how to speak up at work for health and safety.
Visit OHS

Union Aid Abroad

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is the overseas aid and development agency of the ACTU. Our work aims to build self-reliance through support to educational and training projects for workers and their organisations in the developing world.
Visit Union Aid Abroad

ACTU National Union Directory

Find who you are looking for from the who’s who of the union movement.
Visit the ACTU National Union Dictionary
Australian Council of Trade Unions

Representing Australian workers and their families.